Catch Me
by Godsliltippy
Summary: Penelope wakes up to pain and darkness, unsure of what happened. Eventually, the memories return as she realizes who is with her. Whump! Pen and Ink!


Penelope gasped in the dust that hung in the air around her. Ragged coughs quickly followed. Her lungs burned, not only from the granules invading them, but also from the pressure laying across her chest. Desperately, she pushed at the weight, feeling the figures arms fall limp against her sides. With a grunt, she pushed the unknown person off, letting them fall to the ground.

Hindsight would have made her be a little more gentle, but surrounded by darkness, her fear had won out. Now, sitting in the space she couldn't remember getting into, she took account of her injuries.

 _Achy shoulders, back… must have hit pretty hard. Head injury…_ She shut her eyes to help calm the pain throbbing in her skull. _Certainly not good…_

Taking a shallow breath, she thought back to earlier, trying to discern what had lead her into this predicament. Memories of tea, a call from the GDF… the chaos crew had been located… Anything past getting into Fab1 was foggy, but there was still something niggling at the back of her mind. Dreading her next action, she pulled the small compact from her pocket. The light from the hologram was not going to help the steady pounding behind her eyes, but she really needed to assess the situation.

Preemptively shielding her eyes, she flicked the cover up, effortlessly tapping the button she'd hit so many times before. The chime as the connection confirmed alleviated the stress she'd been feeling, however the voice that followed gave her pause for celebration.

"Lady Penelope!" John's voice was a mix of relieved and frantic. "Are you two alright?"

Her eyes fluttered against the glare. _Two? Who?_ Turning her head away from the compact, she let the light fill the space. She looked to be at the base of a cliff, apparently inside a cave considering the lack of light. The odd metal pillars were the only sign of the facility that lay higher up. All of that disappeared, however, as she finally identified the figure who had been on top of her.

"Gordon!" Penelope realised too late that John was still listening.

"What's wrong?" He sounded on the verge of panic. She couldn't have that.

"He's alive, John." She let her hand rest on the blond's chest, feeling it rise and fall, albeit erratically. "He's got a pretty bad laceration on the back of his head. I can't tell if anything else is wrong until he wakes up."

As she received the FAB and was informed that help was on the way, her mind began to fill in the blanks.

 _The hum of machinery surrounded the group as they passed into the next section of the facility, keeping an eye out for anyone affected by the Chaos Crew. Virgil and Gordon made up the rear, while Parker took the lead. Kayo was on the upper levels with Rigby, as they tried to sandwich the siblings. Penelope had been slightly concerned when the Tracy brothers landed, knowing that they were not necessary for apprehending the criminals. It seemed a distress call had been placed from within. Now that they were here, they were hard pressed to find the person who had called._

 _The room they were now in was spacious, housing large equipment used for assembling experimental jet engines. The GDF had been shocked to know the Hood was aware of this specific operation, but Penelope knew better than to underestimate the villain._

 _Ahead of them, movement and the quick sound of boots on metal had her and Parker picking up the pace, wanting to get a visual on the person. She could hear the brothers keeping pace, most likely unsure of their role in the pursuit, but not willing to leave the facility without locating their charges._

 _They came to a door, hearing as it latched shut. Whoever they were following had escaped through it. Parker went through first, giving a sharp intake of breath as they found themselves on a suspended walkway that attached to the outer wall of the facility. Below them was a dark abyss, meant to help with ventilation._

" _Not sure how I feel about this design." She barely heard Virgil's whisper over the metallic clang of their footfalls._

 _The walkway dissolved into a flight of stairs leading to another door. She and Parker had been prepared to head through, followed by a quick call to Kayo, but as the door flew open, their plan was thrown aside._

" _About time you lot showed up." Havoc stepped out into the glow of the industrial lighting, grinning as she lifted a device._

 _In an instant, the quiet of the cavern was disturbed by the nearly simultaneous explosions that lined the walkway on either end of the group. With little time to react, Penelope tried running forward, following her bodyguard, but as the grating fell away, she slipped from his reach. Now, she was watching him hang onto the intact end of the distorted metal. She could even see Virgil clinging to the other end, his eyes wide in shock. Then there were arms wrapping around her, pulling her tight against a chest. She could see Gordon's outstretched arm holding the grapple, ready to save them. They hit the incline before the gun could fire, sending them tumbling together down the pile of blasted stones left over from the constitution. She heard him cry out just before his hold on her loosened and she hit, her mind falling into a completely different kind of darkness._

She felt sick as she watched him. He shouldn't have been there. They should have waited outside until she or Kayo had confirmed anyone needed saving. On the other hand, without him there, this situation could have ended much differently.

Penelope let her hand slip into his, giving a light squeeze, aware of hidden injuries. She was rewarded with a finger twitch, slow, but deliberate.

"Help's on the way, Gordon." Her voice was light, reassuring. "Just a little longer."

As if on cue, the rocks above them shifted as Virgil touched down, his light sweeping over them. Carefully, he detached his harness and climbed the rest of the way down. She waved him off as he made to check her out first. The aches and pains were still present, and the headache had not relented, but it wasn't anything she couldn't work through. Gordon was the one who needed the most attention right now.

"Scott and Alan are on their way from Brazil. Kayo will let them know if she finds anyone they'll need to extract." She nodded, moving aside so the medic could work.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Just take it easy." He smiled, motioning to the side of her head. "That bump looks painful."

Her hand brushed over the sizable lump just above her right temple, wincing at the slight pressure. "Nothing I can't handle."

Virgil had already started fussing over the unconscious aquanaut, his brow knit with concentration. He pulled a strip from his medkit, sliding it under Gordon's neck. A quick press of one end and the strip expanded into a neck brace. She watched him secure each side, leaning forward as the restraint elicited a groan.

"Hey, Gordo." The raven-haired brother gave a light tap to his patient's cheek. He was rewarded with pain-filled, brown eyes as the lids fluttered open. "Hold still for me, kiddo. You took a pretty big fall."

Penelope frowned as she watched the panic overtake the pain, finding herself quickly moving forward. "Gordon?" Her hand found his again.

The change was instantaneous as his eyes locked onto hers, the relief evident. She felt the unfamiliar flush in her cheeks as the realisation hit. "I'm right here. I'm alright."

This was enough to appease him as the pained expression returned. Although, Virgil's gentle prodding might have encouraged the reaction.

"Ow-" The hint of whine in his voice eased the tension in her shoulders. If he could complain, he would survive, or that's what she told herself, at least.

"You did a number on this arm." Virgil was already taking out a splint. "Talk to me, Gordon."

Penelope watched his eyes close in concentration. "Head…"

"Yep, looks like the bleeding is slowing down. What else?" The older brother pulled out a pack of gauze, sliding it over the slick patch of hair. The hiss that accompanied the act, along with the grip of his hand on hers, had her moving closer, her other hand brushing through the unruly bangs.

"Easy there." She smiled down to him as an eye peaked open. "What else hurts, Gordon?"

"Back… probably ribs." He grimaced as he tried to shift. "Hurts to move."

Penelope noticed the medic taking note of his brother's legs as they slowly bent, the heels digging into the dirt. Certainly a good sign. The back injury couldn't have been too bad if he was able to move that much. Virgil wasn't about to let his brother up, however.

"Quit squirming, Gordon." He laid a hand over his co-pilot's chest. He took out a syringe from his pack, Gordon eyeing it warily. "You're going to want this once Scott and Alan are here to help me get you up."

The blond shook his head, sending a pleading glance towards Penelope before returning to his brother. "Don't want to be loopy."

Virgil gave him a sympathetic smile, "Trust me a little, would ya. It's just enough to take the edge off. That knock on your head means you're going to be up for a while whether you like it or not."

Relenting, Gordon accepted the painkiller. Penelope was startled from her watch over the younger man as a gloved hand held out a set of pills and bottle of water. She looked into the medic's stern face. Sighing, she took the offerings. She had to admit, the aches had not reduced as much as she had anticipated.

"Alright, Parker's waiting up top for Kayo and Rigby. They plan on pulling back once the facility's been secured. After what happened, they're fairly certain this was a setup."

Penelope ran a hand over her face, just realizing the state Parker must be in. She could still see the shock on his face as she fell. "How is Parker?"

"Almost had to fight him over who got to come down to get you two." Virgil gave a tired chuckle, the effects of seeing his brother fall to his potential death making themselves present.

She gave him an apologetic smile, knowing her bodyguard could be stubborn given the right circumstances.

"Hey." Virgil tapped his brother's cheek, noticing his eyes had shut. The hand she had been holding let go, raising in a wordless acknowledgment that he was still awake. "Good, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable if your eyes were open."

Grunting in annoyance, one amber eye opened, revealing his discomfort. She took the hand back and gently massaged slow circles over the top. His other eye opened, shifting to look at her and she smiled at the bewildered, glassiness brought on by the medication.

"Pen?" She couldn't remember the last time he sounded so unsure. "You okay?"

Whatever was she going to do with him. Shaking her head with a soft smile, she gave his hand a squeeze. "Oh, darling, nothing worth worrying over. I can't imagine what could have happened if you hadn't been there to catch me."

The flush that spread over his cheeks was barely visible in the light from Virgil's shoulder. The slight giddiness she got from his reaction made her stop and question what the medic had given them. She knew she was letting her guard down, but she didn't seem to mind. In that moment, he was worth the extra attention.

" _Virgil?"_

"Here, Scott. What's your eta?"

" _Landing now. What's their status?"_ Penelope could hear the edge in the eldest Tracy's voice.

"I've got Gordon immobilized. We'll need a stretcher. Lady Penelope has a head injury, but nothing that would require anything other than a harness." Virgil gave her an apologetic grin as he completed his report.

" _FAB. Stand by while I speak with Kayo."_

"FAB."

It wasn't long before beams of light began to cut through the space far above them. She was amazed to see how much of a drop it was from the walkway, her head spinning as she realized how close they had come to a much darker outcome. Gordon seemed blissfully unaware as he quietly hummed to appease his brother, his eyes closed against the pain not covered by the painkillers.

Scott appeared out of the shadows, pulling the stretcher with him. "Hey, little brother."

Gordon opened his eyes, giving his eldest brother a nonchalant wave with his good hand. "Welcome to the party. Sorry, I'd offer to get you something, but Virg has a strict 'no moving' rule."

"Ah, sounds like a good rule to me." He smiled, taking a spot next to the aforementioned brother.

Penelope watched with a light heart as the brothers worked to get Gordon secure, while also keeping the mood jovial for his sake. Scott moved back over to her as Virgil went up alongside the stretcher. He handed her a harness, which she took gratefully, slipping into it with some assistance as she swayed. Strong hands guided her to the tow line, latching them both in before signalling they were ready.

Parker was the first to meet them as Alan fiddled with the controls. He gave her a quick once over, the frantic concern evident behind his eyes, but years of training keeping him calm. Rigby was standing close behind, giving a solemn nod, the frustration of the situation evident on his features. The hood had won this time, but thankfully they were all still alive.

The afternoon sun set thunderbird 2 in an amber glow edged in the usual green. She found Gordon being secured in the ship's infirmary, looking a but more relaxed. Virgil gave his brother a pat on the shoulder before turning, regarding her with a nod and stepping out to talk with his other brothers. Gordon gave her a sideways smile as she came over.

"I don't think I properly thanked you for saving me." She smiled at the vulnerability as his grin faltered.

"Any time." He grimaced slightly. "I'll try to be faster on the draw in the future."

"Let's hope that won't be needed." They both gave a small laugh, knowing better.

"You're really okay?" She could tell he was having trouble seeing her with the collar in place.

Taking a step closer, Penelope leaned over, her voice low. "I'll be just fine." She planted a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you."

The smile that spread across his face was infectious and ten minutes later she was still grinning in the back of Fab1. Parker had questioned it when she'd returned to the car, but she had simply requested they head home for a nice wash up and some tea. Leaning back as they took off, she let her eyes drift closed, allowing her walls to come down a little farther, basking in the warmth behind them. She told herself she would put them up again later, but with every moment she thought of him, it got that much more difficult.


End file.
